Live Trax Vol. 31

I think this is one of the most underrated Live Trax releases, on the basis that people crap on 2001 because it was Everyday-heavy. Joke's on them, because I love it and also love most of Everyday! The mix is top notch, and Stefan being prominent in it only makes it better. JTR is a great opener; the band sounds great and you get a strong sense of the funk and energy to come. BEST is my favorite song and they sound really tight on it, although I've never cared for the Lovely Ladies on it. Sometimes I hear SATELLITE and think, how could anyone ever complain about it? It's such a creative piece of work, and this performance is top-notch. Having Stefan up in the mix is great, but Butch is also doing some really nice work. And Roi, of course. Love the extended "I laugh about this weatherman!" All in all, great. Hello, Jerry Jones baritone on SPACE! What a great sound. Dave's vocals are absolutely tops on this. The rhythm section on RHYME may be among the band's best; an absolute banger. Of all the Everyday songs that gets knocked, MOTHER FATHER is the one that's done most unfairly IMO. I really like the song, made better by the prominence of the cool bass line. That said, I don't understand what the Lovely Ladies are doing... I could take a pass on it. EVERYDAY is a top-tier performance of the song; everything is in check with lots of bouncy energy. RAPUNZEL is one of the wobbly points in the show; Dave fumbles the lyrics and the mic cuts out at one point. The music sounds great though, as does Dave's voice, and the jam is A++. WHAT YOU ARE is good, but unremarkable among the many released performances. SLEEP TO DREAM is beautiful, just beautiful; a real highlight. The prelude to GRACE is awesome; too bad it went away. The song itself is also a great performance. JIMI is solid; Roi is on fire and I love the band intros with improv singing by Dave, although it does go on a bit long. WORLD ENDS is a lower point with Dave flubbing the first chorus. How great is the bass in the intro to GRANNY? Just awesome, although the vocals tail off a bit towards the end. TRUE is a rocking performance, up there with LT20. STAY is a true power closer IMO. The bass is thumping, and while the jam gets a bit lost in the middle, it finds itself again for a strong close. WASTE is really beautiful; I love his rendition of the song, and if not for a little wobble on the guitar at the end it would be perfection. Finally, TRIPPING is an energetic closer to a fantastic show.